Wednesday, November 30, 2011

- Tickets: Pre-sale Channels Open Now; General Availability on December 10; Live on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, February 25, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT -

TOKYO, Nov. 30, 2011 -- The Ultimate Fighting Championship (R) announced the full title card on November 30 of the organization's return to the birthplace of mixed martial arts. This highly anticipated event, the first in Asia under Zuffa ownership, features an epic lightweight title fight pitting champion Frankie Edgar against former WEC Champion Benson Henderson. "UFC (R) JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON" will take place at the Saitama Super Arena, in suburban Tokyo, on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

UFC Japan -- or UFC 144 -- will also feature the return to the Land of the Rising Sun of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, one of the biggest stars in the sport, in a bout which will mark the 6th anniversary to the day of his last fight in Japan. Jackson faces rising star Ryan Bader, whose most recent win came just two weeks ago at UFC 139 in San Jose. Other key matchups feature Mark Hunt, a veteran of Japanese kickboxing, versus French heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo; and Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama cutting weight to meet the always dangerous Jake Shields in the welterweight division. Rounding out the main card will be a lightweight bout pitting the underrated Joe Lauzon, coming off a stunning 67-second submission over Melvin Guillard, against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis.

The above-mentioned fighters Edgar, Jackson, Akiyama, Henderson, Bader and Shields, as well as Japan's own top middleweight Yushin Okami, all appeared in a press conference at the Ritz Carlton Roppongi in Tokyo on November 28 along with other top Japanese fighters such as Hatsu Hioki, Takanori Gomi, "Kid" Yamamoto, Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC International Managing Director Marshall Zelaznik, and Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer unveiled the complete card and discussed the upcoming event to be held at the Saitama Super Arena.

"Japan is the spiritual home of martial arts -- the world has learned from the Japanese many aspects of how to compete in hand-to-hand combat with respect and honor," said Fertitta. "But Japan also has a proud history of modern mixed martial arts and I am excited to bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship back here, and to begin the build-up today to one of the most highly anticipated events of the year -- not just for Japanese UFC fans, but for sports fans all over the world."

"To mark this historic occasion of UFC's return to Japan and Zuffa's first event in Asia, we are bringing a truly stacked card, topped with a World Championship title bout," noted UFC Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer. "Frankie Edgar is one of the top pound-for-pound and toughest guys in the sport, and Benson Henderson is a former WEC champion who earned his title shot with three consecutive wins including most recently over Clay Guida in one of the best fights of 2011."

Tickets for "UFC (R) JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON," now available via pre-sale channels in Japan, are priced at 100,000, 34000, 19000, 9800, and 5800 Japanese yen (JPY). General availability begins December 10 in numerous outlets including Kyodo Promotion, E-Plus and Lawson Tickets. UFC (R) fans in Japan can purchase pre-sale tickets to this event through UFC Mobile and through WOWOW and Nikkan Sports.

"UFC (R) JAPAN: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON" will be available live in the United States on Pay-Per-View at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for a suggested retail price of US$44.99 for Standard Definition and US$54.99 for High Definition.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts will be live and subject to change.

About Ultimate Fighting Championship (R)

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC (R) produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the world. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in more than 140 countries and territories, reaching more than a billion homes worldwide in 21 different languages.

In Japan, UFC events and other featuring programming are currently broadcast on the Wowow premium cable channel. In addition, the Hikari TV IP television network airs live and archived UFC bouts, as well as classic fights from the beloved PRIDE (R) library. UFC information, news and features are available in Japanese via JP.UFC.COM as well as the Official UFC Mobile site in partnership with TV Bank Corp. The UFC mobile site also offers fans across Japan updates, ringtones, wallpapers, fights on demand, and other exciting content.

UFC (R) also boasts a powerful presence online, with UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of professional sports. To date, UFC has over six million fans on Facebook and over 300,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, UFC President Dana White is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with over 1.6 million followers on Twitter. On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Thanksgiving Night was my first time in Nashville since my days as NWA World Champion.

My thanks to Wrestling Promoter, Burt Prentice from Marti, Myself and Funking Conservatory Athletes for a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner (Early Thursday) and the opportunity to perform for Bert and Local NWA Promoter, Mike Porter on my return to Nashville, Tennessee sharing the spotlight with wrestling legend, Jerry "The King" Lawler, the !BANG! TV athletes and local area wrestlers.

Now on !BANG! TV - at http://www.dory-funk.com - From the NWA Arena in Nashville, Tennessee 8 Man Tag Team Action:

For the Women's Championship:
Claudia "The Claw" Reiff (Champion) vs Hollywood Heather
********************
This was my first wrestling match in Nashville since the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance.

Nick Gulas was the promoter of the Tennessee Territory. (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Louisville, and more) Nick had close relations with Legendary Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver.

Nick claimed credit for the existence of all of professional wrestling.

During the days of the quiz show investigations and subsequent legislation to regulate television, (Content presented on television had to be true) Nick said, "My God that will kill Professional Wrestling." Thru Nick's Influence with Senator Kefauver, the words "Except in the case of professional wrestling" were inserted into the legislation to control television content.

Nick was proud of this accomplishment and often would ask, "Where in the Hell all those other "Bastards" (Referring to the other wrestling promoters) would be if it wasn't for him."

If you would like to become a professional wrestler and appear on !BANG! TV, Call now 352-895-4658 or visit http://www.dory-funk.com - and watch !BANG! and Premium !BANG! TV.

The next !BANG! TV Taping comes to the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida Saturday December 31st, New Year's Day. For ticket information, Call 352-895-4658 or you may purchase tickets online at http://www.dory-funk.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

NEW YORK, Nov 15, 2011 -- The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a group of plaintiffs including fighters, fans, trainers and others involved with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) announced today that they have filed a lawsuit against New York State officials challenging the constitutionality of the state law banning live professional MMA events and associated activities (the “Ban”). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenges the Ban for violating numerous provisions of the United States Constitution, including the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges the Ban infringes upon the rights of the fighters who want to publicly exhibit their skills as professionals and express themselves before a live audience, the rights of fans who would like to experience live professional MMA events, and the rights of those who train, publicize or otherwise advance MMA in New York. Plaintiffs point to the following as evidence of the irrational, unconstitutional nature of the Ban:

* The Ban was originally imposed in 1997, at a time when MMA was unregulated and prohibited in many other states. Today, MMA is a highly-regulated, broadly popular sport, which experts and supporting safety data verify is as safe as or safer than many sports and activities that are legal in New York, including boxing, football and rodeo.

* MMA is widely available on television in New York, and many New Yorkers lawfully train and spar in MMA.

* Live professional MMA can take place in virtually every state except New York.

* The individual martial arts that comprise MMA, including kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, boxing and wrestling, are legal and performed live regularly in New York - it is only their combination, performed live by professionals, that is banned in New York.

“MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and one of the most popular in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of Zuffa LLC, owner of the UFC. “When we acquired the UFC, we went to great lengths to invite regulation and adopt substantial safety measures. MMA is now as safe as or even safer than many other sports and activities sanctioned in New York like boxing, for example, because it allows fighters to honorably tap out and involves far fewer hits. All the disciplines that go into mixed martial arts are performed live in New York; it is only their combination that is illegal. Denying fighters the chance to exhibit their training and skills before a live audience and denying thousands of New Yorkers the ability to watch their favorite fighters perform live is not only an injustice to them, but to the local markets that would reap tremendous economic benefits from hosting competitions. We believe the ban should be eliminated, and look forward to fighting live in New York.”

“It is unfortunate that we were forced to take the step of filing a lawsuit to overturn this senseless law, but the ban on live professional MMA infringes on the rights of countless New Yorkers,” said Barry Friedman, a constitutional law professor at New York University School of Law and co-counsel with Morrison & Foerster LLP for the Plaintiffs. “Despite sincere legislative efforts, the ban remains in place based on a flawed assessment of the sport’s supposedly ’violent message.’ This rationale is a patent violation of the First Amendment. In live events, fighters showcase their talents, communicate their convictions, show respect for their opponents and the art and tradition of MMA, and convey the importance of discipline, training and hard work. They also entertain their fans. Not only does the law prohibit live events, but as it is written it purports to ban other speech including media broadcasts and coverage of professional MMA. It is ironic that New York -- in many ways the home of free expression, the global media, and the art world -- would deny someone his or her fundamental freedom of expression. The Ban is contrary to what New York is all about. There is no legal basis for this unconstitutional ban to persist.”

“Performing MMA live in front of a crowd is an unrivaled experience and allows me to speak to my fans,” said Plaintiff and UFC competitor Brian Stann. “I was attracted to MMA during my time in the Marine Corps, after I returned from my first deployment to Iraq in 2005 and was looking for a path that allowed me to stay motivated, and inspire others, particularly fellow veterans. MMA is a brotherhood that demands respect for your fellow fighters and rewards mental discipline and skill. It has given countless veterans a way to rehabilitate and connect with other military veterans and I am grateful every day for the ability to compete and inspire my fans.”